4024.
Altar-frontal; ground, crimson satin; subjects, five apostles, each under a Gothic canopy, with bunches of flowers between them wrought in coloured silks and gold thread. Italian, late 15th century. 7 feet 3 inches by 2 feet.
Beginning at the left-hand we have St. Paul holding a sword, then
St. James the Greater with the pilgrim-staff; in the middle, St. Thomas
holding in one hand a spear, and giving his blessing with the right,
St. Andrew with a cross of large size leaning against his shoulder; and,
last of all, St. John with an eagle at his feet. The figures are better
done than the niches about them, which are very heavy and bad in
taste, as are the bunches of flowers. The whole is applied, and upon
a more modern piece of crimson satin. The back is lined with leaves
of a printed book relating to the Abbey of Vallombrosa, near Florence.
Hanging behind this frontal, and put together as a background to it, are Numbers:—
4513-4516.
Fringed Panels of Domestic Furniture; ground, deep maroon velvet; pattern, a small arabesque within a square of the same design, in cloth of gold edged with gold cord. Italian, 16th century. Nos. 4513 and 4515, each 4 feet 6 inches by 1 foot 4 inches; Nos. 4514 and 4516, each 3 feet 7 inches by 1 foot 4 inches.
Bedsteads in Italy are so large that these pieces look far too small
to have ever been applied to such a purpose as bed-furniture. They
were, probably, the hangings for the head of a canopy in the throne-room
of a palace during the year of mourning for the death of its
prince.
